3 major cash machine use dangers averted!

On one hand, bank cards made transactions safer and harder for the thieves to steal your money. On the other hand, new cyber criminals are after you and they use ATMs or cash machine chargers to get your money.

3 biggest safety concerns for bank cards users:

So, you come up to an ATM, insert your card and get the cash. So, easy and nice. Are your money in danger now? Well, in most cases the money you withdraw during the transaction is safe. But the ones left on your card can be stolen. And here is how:

1. Through skimming

There is that hole you stick your card to and get it scanned. Some criminals use a fake device attached to the ATM. You think you are inserting the card in the bank machine, but in reality, you put it into the thieves’ hands. They can read the card, clone it or withdraw all the money from it to their account right then and there.

Or, they can use some pads on the numbers, where you dial your code. Later on, they can steal your card and have the PIN to access the money or spend it on whatever they want. Some smart criminals set small cameras to get your PIN.

What to do:

First of all, carefully check the ATM. Does it look normal? Are there any extra pads on the numbers for dialing? Does the entrance for the card look usual? And watch for the hidden cameras. You may use the other hand to cover up the pad while entering the numbers.

2. Watching over your shoulder

That’s an easy one, especially when you have a line of people waiting at the cash machine. Still, what you do there requires privacy.

What to do:

If someone comes up too close to you, just turn around and ask them to move back. There is nothing rude about it. And make sure to stand in such a way that you would close the access to the dialing pad. Do not look up your card balance on the screen. This way others can see how much money you have and try to steal your card.

3. A stuck card

They can put a special thing into the card opening of the ATM. You insert the card and it “gets swallowed” by the machine. But in reality, that is not true. The scammers wait for you to go away and leave the card there. Then they take it out and use it.

What to do:

Do not walk away from the ATM until you get your card back or call the bank at once and block your card. Make it unusable for the fraudsters.

If you know about the 3 major ATM scams, you can provide a higher level of safety for you and your funds.